Gilligan vs. Goober – Their CRAZY Feud Became a Brawl!
While it might be hard to believe, actors Bob Denver and George Lindsey actually once found themselves locked in mortal combat with each other.
George played Goober Pyle in the classic TV series, The Andy Griffith Show, and Bob was the klutzy but lovable first mate on Gilligan’s Island. Growing up during the seventies, I would rush home to watch both shows after school, when reruns of so many classic TV programs from the sixties would air. Both shows were included on the list of Most Iconic 1960s TV Shows that was put together by Woman’s World magazine earlier this year.
Everett Collection
According to George, he met Bob Denver on the set of Love, American Style, and the two actors became fast friends. However, in his book Goober in a Nutshell, George confesses that there was at least one moment when the two of them were anything but friendly with each other.
You see, it happened one night when they were both having drinks at Bob’s home, and the conversation somehow morphed into a shouting match about who was the better actor. Before you knew it, the two of them were on the ground, literally fighting each other over who had the best acting chops.
Now, I’m sure neither man was proud of that moment, even if they were proud of what they’d accomplished on screen. Personally, I don’t blame George, though. Quite frankly, he hasn’t been the only one who ever wanted to give Bob Denver, or at the very least, one of the characters he played on TV, a knuckle sandwich. Go ahead, Skipper. We’ll forgive you.
Prior to his starring role in Gilligan’s Island, Bob made a guest appearance on The Andy Griffith Show as Dud Wash, a character who was married to Charlene Darling and had previously been played by a different actor on the show. However, CBS wanted to get Denver’s face in front of as many TV viewers as possible before Gilligan’s Island debuted on the network, and it was for that reason alone that Bob was asked to make a one-time appearance in Mayberry. You can learn more about that episode titled “Divorce, Mountain Style” here.
Getting back to that brawl, in all of the accounts that I’ve read, it has never been revealed who was the victor and that’s probably a good thing. End of the day, both of these fellers are winners in my book.
Remind 
Classic TV Shows of the ’50s & ’60s
September 2020
Test your knowledge, from Bonanza and Gunsmoke to I Love Lucy, I Dream of Jeannie, Star Trek and more fun TV of the 1950s and 1960s.
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